I'm so confused as to what is good for you these days! Between raw food, Nourishing Traditions, vegan, vegatarian, supplements and more I just end up not knowing what to think.

How did you come to your nutritional philosophy?

Thanks!

Currently, we try and eat fresh fruit and veggies and cook from scratch most nights, avoiding pre-packaged type of foods. We do have our weaknesses, though (frozen dumplings!) and we eat out a ton. We're thinking of making our own Kefir. Right now DS is loving the store bought. I just so confused because so much of the dietary things seem conflicting.

Great question! It is confusing, huh? I'm in limbo right now (trying to decide if I should include fish/meat in my diet). I've been veggie (and vegan off and on) for 14 years now and having some issues that I'm thinking eating a bit of fish may help. Anyway, besides all of that, currently, I eat a plant based diet. I do eat a bit of whole grains, seeds, and dairy, no soy, no nuts, and no refined flours/sugars (well, besides that chocolate that sneaks in ), include probiotics.

I haven't read Nourishing Traditions yet, nor Eat to Live (my spring break reading) but I have read many other nutrition books and take bits and pieces from each. Anyone have any other recommendations?

The path to our nutritional philosophy...It's all been sort of instinctual and it's always changing. I just make sure we eat lots of fruits and veggies and grains. We do almost all food at home from scratch because it's healthier, cheaper, and I like to cook. We don't eat out much mainly because it just doesn't fit into our lifestyle (we're rural). We do hormone and antibiotic free eat meat because we like it and I feel like meat in moderation is beneficial.

I'm hoping to gradually switch over to producing the bulk of our diet with a garden, chickens, and maybe a goat but I'm starting off slowly since I'm still making babies . So for right now I make my own sprouts and am getting ready to do yogurt, kefir, and possibly some other fermentation.

We do include processed foods in our diet on occassion...chocolate is good for the soul !

My philosophy is a "anything in moderation" one. We eat an omnivorous diet, and try and focus on good grains, lean protein etc.

We rarely eat out or eat processed, and make most things from scratch.

But, I truly don't think that a little processed flour here and some non-organic veggies there are really a problem if they're balanced with otherwise healthy stuff. Likewise with most "junk" food. One McDonalds burger every couple of months is not going to kill me. If I was eating it every day, then obivously that would be a problem.

Lots of reading, testing and finding what made our bodies feel the best. I do best on raw, vegan, and kiddos do best on raw vegetarian (they do eggs, but no dairy) We don't do grains, because we don't react well to them no matter how they were prepared. I believe that raw is the best as all enzymes are intact and you need less energy to digest. That said I am concerned about a lack of cholesterol in the kids diets (I manufacture enough-they can't yet) and a lack of A & D as they are very difficult to get in a vegan diet.
So, I listen to NT or WAP when it comes to animal products and lots of raw. I also listen with regards to CLO, and soaking and sprouting nuts.
I listen to Joel Fuhrman on the basics of nutrition and the evils of dairy. I don't believe that we were meant to consume it-raw or not.
I listen to anyone who talks about raw because I've never felt or looked better and who can argue that fruits and veggies are amazing?
I think some supplements are necessary-minerals and CLO (actually a food, but you know what I mean!) are at the top of my list.
We do nothing refined. We used to, but we are so much clearer now I can't see going back-besides raw cacao is amazing! I just made raw fudge that was to die for.
So that's where we are. Dairy free, 95% raw, NT philosophy following vegetarians that are grain free. Works for us!

For us it's very simple. We eat lots of raw veggies,fruits and it's very important to me that these are organic. We drink raw milk. No Hydrogenated oils or refined sugar. We try to strike a balance. We aren't purists to any particular way. Just try to use good common sense.

Samjm-it is interesting. However there is another side. Someone starving in Africa probably isn't eating white flour, pasteurized dairy and HFCS. The crops they are gathering haven't been sprayed. For us it's about being healthy and it's the SAD that is the problem. Plenty of "poor" traditional cultures had little or no options, yet were very healthy-more so than we in the rich western cultures are. What is interesting is how far we've gotten from traditional diets. We do have so many options at our fingertips with produce flown in from several countries, as well as other exotic spices and things. Yet with this amazing bounty people opt for that burger from McD's. It's really baffling.

I kind of found my diet through trial and error. I have suffered since childhood with awful Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and have experimented for years with eliminating certain foods and adding others, and eliminating additives, until I've hit on the diet that seems to keep my belly feeling happiest. So I eat mostly veggies, legumes, and whole grains, with a bit of fruit and dairy. I do eat the occasional meat, maybe twice a month, because I think it's good for building my iron stores (I was horribly anemic after DD was born) but it's pretty rare.

I have a terrible refined sugar addiction that I'm working on breaking. I'm down to once or twice a week, but chocolate and ice cream are so GOOD. Moderation is the key, I guess, but with me it really does aggravate my health problems so it has to go eventually.

Cost is also a factor for us. I'm really broke, so cheap is important to us. I try to buy organic, especially when I'm buying animal products, but I can't afford all-organic, so I prioritize.

Samjm-it is interesting. However there is another side. Someone starving in Africa probably isn't eating white flour, pasteurized dairy and HFCS. The crops they are gathering haven't been sprayed. For us it's about being healthy and it's the SAD that is the problem. Plenty of "poor" traditional cultures had little or no options, yet were very healthy-more so than we in the rich western cultures are. What is interesting is how far we've gotten from traditional diets. We do have so many options at our fingertips with produce flown in from several countries, as well as other exotic spices and things. Yet with this amazing bounty people opt for that burger from McD's. It's really baffling.

By reading and asking a lot of questions!!! :
Eat to Live
Fastfood Nation
wwwvegweb.com

One thing also...I have only seen ONE heavy vegan in my life(she is into desserts!) all the others were very thin! A good thing for me!

We follow Eat to Live as closely as possible. Whole plant foods is wht it'a bout! (Ton's of produce, lots of raw food, beans,moderate whole grains, lesser nuts and tofu) Ice cream is only for a special treat and the occsaional egg...we are vegans the rest of the time. I feel great, dh feels great, and ds didn't get sick this winter! (actually none of us did)

I love the food too...much more exciting because we eat a lot of ethnic food now.. Plus raw apple pie is YUMMY! and you don't feel after!

I was also on 225 mg effexor (antidepressants) and now 2.5 months later I am on 75 mg and I will be off them by this summer!!!!! I never thought I would be such a health nut and eat this way..but now that I am accustomed to it I will never go back.

I have come to realize that healthy eating is all about balance, and eating as close to nature as possible. Cooked, raw, meat, fish, vegetarian. No preservatives, additives and limited sugar. We eat meat once a week, chicken once or twice, fish once, vegetarian once or twice. We eat both raw and cooked vegies with our meals. Nothing has chemicals in it. We eat dairy, but mostly fermented as yoghurt or kefir. We suppliment with healthy oils. Lots of fresh or unsweetened frozen fruit, lots of fresh or unsalted frozen vegies. Some grains daily, but we don't rely on them. Just good, true to nature food. Variety and balance.

If we eat out then we make a healthy choice in a restaurant. We like vietnamese because it's simple, fresh and really good. We order the vermicelli soup and noodle bowls. We will also go to a restaurant that has a lot of vegetable choices and just good healthy food. They do exist. We would rather save our money and go out to a nice healthy place once in a while, then go the fast food route more often.